spot on sid… some amount of wing backs but no keith barr type centre back…brennan tries to be that but, in typical Vincents fashion, he´s more dirty than hard IMHO…wouldn´t put Mccarthy centre back, hasn´t the concentration…better when he´s let step in and out of games from wing back… has brady got any games there so far? i think thats his best chance of a start…
O mahoney will always be an option as Dublin ahven´t got too many natural midfielders…
Seriously?
I wouldn’t be blowing on about that bunch too much. The future for Dublin is with the new talent. Brogan is a vital cog no doubt but is aging and McCarthy is a superior overall package to Brennan in the back line any day of the week but guys like Bastick, McMahon and Connolly are no big deal. Connolly has fuck loads if talent but is always going to have the personality he has. McMahon got too big and Bastick is a passenger.
Dublin will win All-Ireland because of Killkenny, Brogan and the other young players and a style of play that by passes midfield and isolates opposition defences
Dublin are best positioned to be the dominant team of the decade. They already have one AI and are successfully turning over the team to the younger players without appearing to need a transition. Perhaps they have not had anything like a settled 15 in the first place.
At the same time a number of strong counties are struggling with transition or just don’t have the players… Meath, Galway, Tyrone, kerry, armagh.
Cork should have changed management team, the setup looks stale.
I don’t think Donegal will sustain beyond this season. The style has a dominant midfield and they will creak there on age & mileage.
mayo have a good panel but history is against them.
The most important thing for Dublin is a creative presence out the field. That’s why Killkenny coming home is absolutely massive for them. I don’t think they will dominate too much though, nobody will, 2-in-a-row in itself would be a massive achievement really. I don’t think they ate that absolutely amazing anyway, yes they have plenty depth and talent but alot of it is I’m the same positions and the players are quite similar. Outside of CK none of them (the new guys)are real central dominant types and I think they still lack real brilliant midfielders or a dominant centre back. All great teams have that.
Nevertheless they’ll challenge very strongly for the next few years, not much doubt about that.
Cork - hard to know. They have talent but as said the coaching is gone stale. The new selectors could end up being in charge next year but having been coached by one of them (although a very good club coach) he didn’t really believe in tactics so you’d have to wonder about him at IC level. Looking at them this year it’s clear they have no interest in the league so one would hope they will develop something more cutting as the year goes on. So much revolves around Ciaran Sheehan and where best to play him that’s it’s hard to see us coming up with much. Him and Goulding are very I jury prone too. Right now one can’t see Cork winning the All-Ireland.
Donegal - Tjey’ll be a force as long as McGuinness is there. It’s that simple really.
Kerry - Not as bad as they have shown so far but not going to win anything either. A settled run with the Crokes guys back and finding a game plan will have then competitive by July, but a 1/4 final will pro a ly be all they’ll get. Donaghy and Buckly at midfield will be interesting and should give them plenty ball, but there defense is cat and will be exposed. The new players are good, but not good enough for Kerry really.
Mayo - Are a very solid and entertaining team now who have found consistency. They are not as talented as former Mayo teams which is a pity cos they have everything else. Hard to see them winning it all though.
Kildare - Impressive fitness and a good counter attacking team and Tomas O Connor is a serious operator. That along with some new talent gives them a healthy future. Like Mayo I think though they probably just don’t have enough.
Tyrone - In transition. Saw one game they had against Down and was not that impressed really to be honest. Brave calls made to re-invent the team might reap a surprise or two.
Nobody else is really in the running although I expect Laois to have a big year. A big strong team with a couple of decent forwards, a game plan and seriously fit.
[quote=“scumpot, post: 743442, member: 182”]spot on sid… some amount of wing backs but no keith barr type centre back…brennan tries to be that but, in typical Vincents fashion, he´s more dirty than hard IMHO…wouldn´t put Mccarthy centre back, hasn´t the concentration…better when he´s let step in and out of games from wing back… has brady got any games there so far? i think thats his best chance of a start…
O mahoney will always be an option as Dublin ahven´t got too many natural midfielders…[/quote]
Don’t forget Cian O’Sullivan. I think he will play centre back that’s if he can stay injury free.
Kev when you say Tomas O Connor is a serious operator what would you mean? I would see him as a gym donkey and from having seen him play he cant kick it out of his way. He’s a great man to win ball, but if he doesn’t lay it off within 5 seconds he can tend to be easily dispossessed or made foul the ball. He’s a fucking beast though.
With regards to Laois, McNulty is trying to develop a more attacking style this year after the defensive gameplan of last year. Laois have scored 0-20, 2-11 and 1-17 in three games so far, but have conceded a combined total of 4-41 in the same number of games, which is a bit of a worry. Cahir Healy’s double jobbing has seen his form drop off a bit, but I imagine come Championship Cahir will be fine as he always is. Kingston’s return bodes well, but he hasn’t been seen since the Armagh game, was said to be flu stricken against Derry but played for UCD three days later, and wasn’t togged out last night. Along with Clancy his loss last night meant Laois lacked a target man which McNulty has built his system around. A lot depends on how well McNulty allies the new attacking impetus to last years defensive gameplan, but you’re right about fitness, Solan has them absolutely flying and knows well how to keep it that way too.
Really? If so, he must have a twin brother called Paul Barden who was playing then so, which seems quite unlikely, but know, if you say it. Although you do frequent the Reservoir, so I that severely weakens any opinion you have.
Michael Murphy misses a penalty for Donegal and gets sent off immediately after. Tyrone lead 6-4 at h/t
Given the fact that more and more intercounty teams are fielding sides without the ability to kick a ball off the ground, is it worth considering just allowing them to kick the fucking thing out of the hands altogether?
Donegal are filthy, an unbelievable amount of cynical fouling. Any time Tyrone build from the back or midfield they’ll foul, obstruct, drag, pull or block to prevent them building up a head of steam. Tyrone are no angels themselves it must be said.
Great save from the penalty. How Gallagher escaped a yellow for dragging the 'keeper to the ground after I’ll never know. 
Murphy is a class act and without him they’ll find it hard to get scores. When he retires from GAA and stops training he’ll balloon out to the size of a house though. He’ll be like Big Pat Dolan.
Listening on the wireless here to the updates on radio1
this carry on of having some fella in the studio to discuss the game just isnt working, this time its that utter prick oisin Maconville with jacqui hurley
some HTs
tyrone 0-6 donegal 0-4
Down 1-9 Cork 2-4
derry 0-8 wex 0-6
galway 0-8 westmeath 0-2
monagahan 0-6 sligo 0-2
roscommon 0-7 wicklow 0-5
tipp 2-12 london 1-08 FT
letrom 1-6 carlow 0-6
munster 1-11 connacht 0-9 at HT
kildare are 3 points up on kerry, seanie johnson has scored 1-2 and des cahill is very impressed calling him a “confidence player”
clare 0-8 offaly 1-2
Tommy Carr on now slating the donegal tyrone match
Tommy knows the score in fairness, speaks very, very well and knows how to talk about football
Oisin telling us that county teams now spend an hour every tuesday night at training studying how to play the referee.
Tommy hates Pat Mcenenaney and co who are “happy” and are “trying to fool” us that everything is “happy happy in referee land”.
discipline at club level is atrocious and appalling says Tommy, but at county level it acceptable
Tommy is dead right, McEneaney is a bluffer and a bullshit artist. He practically made shite of the rulebook as a ref and will do the same in his current role.
We’ll be going around the grounds now shortly
By the way, that Tyrone goalkeeper can do it all cant he? Very impressive first half.
[quote=“dodgy-keeper, post: 743521, member: 1552”]Donegal are filthy, an unbelievable amount of cynical fouling. Any time Tyrone build from the back or midfield they’ll foul, obstruct, drag, pull or block to prevent them building up a head of steam. Tyrone are no angels themselves it must be said.
Great save from the penalty. How Gallagher escaped a yellow for dragging the 'keeper to the ground after I’ll never know.
Murphy is a class act and without him they’ll find it hard to get scores. When he retires from GAA and stops training he’ll balloon out to the size of a house though. He’ll be like Big Pat Dolan.[/quote]
who’s that?
Goal for Tyrone.
There’ll be more sendings off in this game by the way. Can see a big blow up coming.
Sean Cavanagh needs a haircut.
Tyrone a man and four points up after 44 minutes. Their keeper has a great strike of the ball.
Niall Morgan in goal for Tyrone now has 0-3 to his name along with a penalty stop. He’s got a sweet strike off the ground to be fair to him.